People & Organisational Development

The Glasgow Professional Behavioural Framework defines ‘how’ colleagues can all contribute to the success of the University and to their own successes as individuals. These behaviours demonstrate the attitude and approach that should be brought to work and encompass how things are done, how people are treated and how each colleague can expect to be treated.

The Framework has been designed to articulate the behaviours colleagues should strive to embody in all activities and should be referenced continually in relation to key people activities, such as recruitment, training and the annual Performance Development Review process.

The Glasgow Professional 

At the University of Glasgow there are Job Family Role Profiles : Research & Teaching; Management, Professional & Administrative (MPA); Technical & Specialist (T&S); and Operational (Ops).

The activities and skills of colleagues at all job levels throughout the University are recognised by their alignment to our Job Families and associated Career Pathways.

Job Family Role Profiles

Colleagues in the Management, Professional and Administrative (MPA), Technical and Specialist (T&S) and Operational job families have different options for career advancement to colleagues engaged in the Research & Teaching job family.

For those employed within our professional job families, progression is typically achieved via application for vacant roles at a higher level or, where the circumstances arise, where there is an agreed need that the duties and responsibilities merit such change as a consequence of organisational change, restructuring and/or as determined by business needs following an appropriate job matching and/or evaluation process. Discussions about career development opportunities essentially form part of the PDR process aligned with the strategic imperatives of the University, school or service, coupled with ongoing one-to-one meetings with line managers to ensure effective performance and professional development, and to support and facilitate readiness for opportunities as they arise.

If colleagues are not sure which options are available in their current job, they are advised to have a conversation with their line manager.

Promotion usually only takes place as a result of a successful appointment, following an appropriate recruitment activity, to a role at a higher level than the current role, commonly through a move to a different role altogether.

Alternatively, and in less common circumstances, progression can be achieved following a successful evaluation of the role. The growth of roles is management led and will normally be the result of planned job growth or organisational structural change.

Colleagues can use the information in the Career Framework to help map out personal and professional development needs and to understand the skills and capabilities required at each level within each job family.

It is recognised that career journeys along linear career trajectories may be less common for isolated roles where more bespoke personal and professional development planning may be required.  In some cases, career progression may be facilitated by a change of job family (e.g. a Grade 7 Ops post holder may need to consider options for moving into either the MPA or T&S job families to enable further career progression).

Performance and Development Review (PDR) is a University wide process to support staff in maximising their career and professional development through meaningful conversations, allowing contribution to be documented and reviewed and aligned to the high-performance culture which is instrumental in the achievement of the University’s strategic ambitions. PDR is a joint process, with the line manager/reviewer supporting and guiding staff to define and achieve their objectives and progress towards appropriate professional and career development ambitions. Whilst PDR can inform other processes, it is widely recognised that a meaningful PDR discussion is of significant importance and value to every member of staff and their respective line manager.

Regular PDR conversations, along with ongoing one-to-one meetings, help to align the longer term personal, professional and development goals of individuals with the aims and strategic objectives of the team, the institution and the University. In practice, PDR enables conversations that support increased satisfaction, motivation, well-being, and contribute to building strong and effective working relationships.

Benefits of effective PDR discussions and regular one-to-one meetings include:

• Enhanced and sustained motivation and morale, by recognising successes and empowering colleagues to make decisions about their work and development.
• Support for a culture of continuous review and improvement, enhancing performance and clarifying personal responsibility.
• An inclusive and positive working culture, supported by effective two-way communication and open styles of management, leadership and collaboration.
• Support for colleague well-being by building trust and awareness of individual needs and responsibilities.
• Consistency of good working practices and shared strategic vision.
• Help to recognise, develop and retain valuable skills, knowledge and experience within the University contributing to high levels of colleague engagement and retention.

Performance & Development Review

Each job family also has a range of Career Pathways, which set out the cumulative expectations of the role (from Level 2 to Level 10) as colleagues progress through the University pay scale.

The Career Pathways are designed to help colleagues map out their career trajectory during their time at the University, allowing them to plan their personal development and work activities to enable them to achieve their full potential.

Each Career Pathway has its own levels, representative work activities, skills and behavioural standards which together define the contributions expected of colleagues at each Level and within each Pathway.

Professional Services have a range of different career family pathways spanning the Management, Professional and Administrative (MPA) family, the Technical & Specialist (T&S) family and the Operational (Ops) family. At each level within each pathway there is a Matrix which outlines the expectations of a role. The matrix includes the skills and competencies required, the behaviours expected and examples of work-related activities according to the job family.

These Career Pathways offer clarity around standards of excellence, help maintain equal pay for work of equal value and enable us to grade our posts fairly and consistently.

As such, the Career Pathways are a crucial source of information for developing appropriate job descriptions and person specifications.

Career Pathways Framework Portal

The job description (JD) is a detailed description of the role, including all responsibilities and requirements. Included in the standard job description form template is the person specification which is the profile of an ideal employee, including knowledge, skills and experience. The job description forms the baseline against which an individual’s performance is assessed and measured at both recruitment and as part of the annual performance and development review process.

When writing the job description, keep the focus on the duties and responsibilities of the position, as opposed to the personal characteristics of the person performing the job.

Comprehensive guidance is available in the Job Description Writing Guidelines.

Job Description Writing Guidelines

Standard job descriptions have been developed to assist in writing job descriptions for typical and/or frequently occurring jobs and to promote swift grading turnaround times for these posts. These job descriptions set out the typical duties and selection criteria for a role. All standard jobs must be advertised using the up-to-date job description template.

The standard job descriptions can be used in several ways, most commonly to facilitate: 

a) the evaluation of the structure and requirements of a Service/School, for example, before recruiting to replace a member of staff or where a restructure of the School or Service is planned;

 b) the process of writing a comprehensive job description which accurately reflects the duties of the position and considers a range of Korn Ferry (Hay) competencies; 

c) the decision-making process when considering whether a role has developed sufficiently in depth and breadth to warrant making an application for progression.

The standard job descriptions have been evaluated by colleagues who are trained and experienced in Korn Ferry (Hay) job evaluation and cannot be altered. 

Standard Job Descriptions Library

Where new roles are identified as being required but where these are not in addition to the existing staffing complement, a ring-fenced Service/School wide advertising process may be considered.  A Service/School wide process will typically be the expectation in these circumstances to ensure that all existing staff have equal access to development opportunities and a fair and transparent appointment process is carried out.

Where a new role represents a refocusing of, or expansion to an existing role, exceptionally, a single candidate interview without the need for a Service/School wide advert may be considered

Where it can be clearly established that significant elements of a new role are already being delivered by a particular individual and where this represents working at a higher level, a case for progression may be pursued.  This will require a business case detailing how the additional duties and responsibilities have been delivered by the individual over the course of the last 12 months along with a comprehensive curriculum vitae evidencing how the individual meets the essential criteria for the post.

In all such cases approval for these approaches will be required from the US Executive Group/CMG, or equivalent, on the basis of clear evidence/justification.

There are different mechanisms by which jobs are graded:

1. All new and vacant existing jobs are matched to the appropriate job family and level using the University’s Job Family Role Profiles and the agreed Job Descriptions.
2. Existing roles that have become vacant and have had no changes made to the agreed job descriptions do not require to be graded and can proceed through the Staff Request process.
3. The grading of any changes to posts emerging from a restructure are assessed and matched by the local P&OD Business Partnering team using the University’s Job Family Role Profiles and the agreed Job Descriptions.

In the event that a decision cannot be reached applying a job matching approach, the job is fully evaluated.

Posts are normally assigned to the appropriate job family and level using either job evaluation or a job matching approach.  Jobs are evaluated and/or matched to the appropriate job family and level utilising the University’s Job Family Role Profiles .

The object of any job matching process is to establish a ‘best fit’ match of any job description to the job family role profiles, to establish the correct grade for the job.   Where a job straddles two levels, ‘a best fit’ approach will be applied using a 75-80% match based upon the duties and responsibilities of the role.

All non-standard new and vacant existing jobs are matched by two P&OD Partners from the relevant College or University Services. Each P&OD Partner will complete the job matching exercise independently, using the job family role profiles, before assigning the grade. If the P&OD Partners are unable to agree on a grade, another P&OD Partner will complete a job matching exercise. Where required, input may be sought from colleagues with specific expertise, knowledge and/or experience of the job. Grading decisions will be based on an up to date, agreed and authorised job description and organisation chart.

If the role is a Grade 10 job, a further job matching exercise must be carried out by the Performance & Reward team.

In the event that a decision cannot be reached applying this job matching approach, the job is fully evaluated. 

Job evaluation is the tool used by the University for determining the 'size' of a job.  It allows the University to compare different jobs, which in turn enables the determination of where jobs should be placed in the pay and grading structure and helps ensure equal pay for work of equal value across the whole of the University.

Job evaluation introduces greater transparency and fairness into the way jobs are graded (including having a single source of evaluation) and enables the University to compare roles with the external job market, where appropriate.

At the University of Glasgow, we use the Korn Ferry (Hay) system of job evaluation. Learn more in the Korn Ferry Methodology Guide to Job Evaluation.

 Korn Ferry Methodology Guide to Job Evaluation

Job Evaluation Panels

The job evaluation panel will evaluate roles from Level 2 to Level 9 within the University’s pay and grading structure. The purpose of the job evaluation panel is to provide independent evaluation of job roles, based on the information provided in the job description.

Job roles are evaluated according to the University’s approved Korn Ferry (Hay) method of job evaluation and assigned a level within the University’s pay and grading structure. The level is assigned to the role and not to an individual.

Additionally, the job role is assigned to an appropriate Job Family/Career Pathway.

The University’s job evaluation panels are managed and overseen by the Performance & Reward team with invitations to participate offered to the University’s four recognised trades unions and management representatives selected from across the University. All participating members of the panel must have been formally trained in the Korn Ferry (Hay) method of job evaluation.

The job evaluation panel will be chaired by a senior member of the Performance & Reward team and will include one nominated representative from management, one from the trade unions and a senior colleague from People & Organisational Development.

Potential outcomes following job evaluation

Having reviewed the submitted job description, the Job Evaluation Panel may determine:

• The post is graded at a level above the current grade
• The post is graded at a level below the current grade
• There is no change to the grade of the post

A decision will then be made on what action should be taken, which may include:

• A redistribution of existing tasks/duties/accountabilities to maintain the current grade of the post
• Applying an increase in salary
• Applying a reduction in salary
• Applying other options (e.g. use of the Contribution Zone within a pay grade or applying a Responsibility Payment)

If an increase in grade is determined, the Performance & Reward team will provide the line manager and staff member with written notification of the evaluation outcome along with confirmation of the new grade and salary placement, and, if appropriate, any market supplement. Progression will normally be effective from the 1st of the month following the date on which the evaluation took place (subject to UKVI requirements where applicable).

Colleagues will normally move to the minimum point on the grade for the relevant job family unless there is a scale overlap.

Where the salary prior to evaluation is in the contribution zone and is higher than the minimum salary point of the grade level into which the post has been evaluated, the post holder will move across onto the next salary point above their current salary in the new grade.

The Performance & Reward team will arrange and coordinate an annual quality assurance (sore-thumbing’) exercise for jobs from across the University.

The Performance & Reward team will:

• propose an appropriate sample size based on the number and types of jobs graded in the previous 12 months
• discuss and agree the sample size and profile of roles across professional services with the trade unions
• convene a panel made up of staff experienced in job evaluation, including trade union representatives
• confirm the outcome of the exercise to the Heads of People & Organisational Development.